Guillotine knife sharpener

ABSTRACT

A device for sharpening the knife of a guillotine in which one or preferably two grinding wheels are driven by an electric motor, the arrangement being mounted on a base which can be moved over the surface of a guillotine table, the grinding wheel or wheels being capable of being sset at an angle to the surface of the table corresponding to the angle at which the blade is to be sharpened. Sharpening is carried out simply by moving the device backwards and forwards along the length of the blade. It is to be preferred that the device is constructed in such a way that the grinding wheel or grinding wheels may be set either in a high position or a low position to enable the whole length of the guillotine blade to be sharpened.

United States Patent Moritz 1541 GUILLOTINE KNIFE SIHARPENER [72] Inventor: walter Peter Moritz, 47 Cascade St., Paddington, New South Wales,

Australia 221 Filed: Aug. 6, 1970 211 A 1.1-16.='61,629

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Aug. 18,1969 Australia ..59668/69 52 us. (:1. ..'....s1/173,51 249 511 1111.01,; ..B24b3/36 [58] Fieldolsearch ..5l/l73, 170 R, 170 T, 24l S, 51/241 R, 247, 249, 34 C Brown ..5l/l'73 [151 3,683,563 1431 Aug. 15, 1972 867,473 10/ 1907 Brown ..5 l/ l 73 2,109,107 2/l938 Eadie ..5l/l73 2,586,236 2/1952 Lewis et al ..5l/l73 2,540,443 2/ 1951 Harris ..5 l/ 170 R 779,837 l/l905 Brown ..5 ll] 73 Primary Examiner-Donald G. Kelly Attorney-Michael S. Striker ABSTRACT A device for sharpening the knife of a guillotine in which one or preferably two grinding wheels are driven by an electric motor, the arrangement being mounted on a base which can be moved over the surface of a guillotine table, the grinding wheel or wheels being capable of being ssetat an angle to the surface of the table corresponding to the angle at which the blade is to be sharpened. Sharpening is carried out simply by moving the device backwards and forwards along the length of the blade. It is to be preferred that the device is constructed in such a way that the grinding wheel or grinding wheels may be set either in a high position or a low position to enable the whole length of the guillotine blade to be sharpened.

7 Clainm, 11 Drawing Figures Patented Aug. 15, 1972 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG-l Unrsn P2015200 'nmrz BY 4am I M,-

A ttorne y Patented Aug. 15, 1972 4 3,683,563

5 Sheets-Sheet 2 In venlor [14am Pare! I'M/ 2 /L1, -10/ I- {(1. iv.

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5 Sheets-Sheet 4 I nventor Mrn Pn'a MM'L A llorney Patented Aug. 15, 1972 3,683,563

5 Sheets-Sheet 5 I (or Maren #324 from:

The present invention relates to a device for sharpening the knives of guillotines such as are used by printers and others for cutting paper.

It is the present practice for the knives of such guil- Iotines to be removed frequently from the machine for regrinding and this is a relatively costly and time-consuming process. The present invention provides a device whereby the knife may be sharpened in situ effectively and expeditiously, so that the length of the intervals between occasions on which it is necessary to remove the knife for regrinding may be significantly increased.

Whereas there have been previous proposals for devices for resharpening guillotine knives in situ these did not overcome a particular difficulty in sharpening the whole of the edge of the knife which arises from the fact that a guillotine knife moves laterally in the plane of the knife as it descends or rises. In the raised position of the knife, which is the most convenient position in which to resharpen it a portion of the blade is covered by the frame of the machine. The present invention, however, in a preferred form, enables this difficulty to be largely overcome.

The invention consists in a device for sharpening the knife of a guillotine consisting of a base which may be placed on and moved over the surface of the guillotine table, an electric motor mounted on the base and at least one grinding wheel driven by said electric motor, means being provided whereby the angle made between the face of the grinding wheel and the guillotine table may be adjusted and set in an adjusted position, the arrangement being such that the base may be moved over the surface of the table with the grinding wheel in a correct grinding relationship with the knife whereby the knife may be sharpened by one or more passes of the grinding wheel along its length. It is preferred that the device shall be constructed so as to be operable at a higher or a lower position in either of which it is angularly adjustable in relation to the surface of the guillotine table. It is furtherpreferred that means should be provided for regulating the amount of material removed from the knife so that it is uniform throughout its length. 7

In order that the invention may be better understood and put into practice a preferred embodiment of the invention is hereinafter described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a device according to the invention,

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the device with the front cover removed,

FIG. 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3 of FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 is an end elevation of the device showing the grinding wheels operating in a high position,

FIG. 5 is a similar view showing the grinding wheels operating in a low position,

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of a modified form of construction according to the invention,

FIG. 7 is an end view of the apparatus shown in FIG.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the front of a further embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 9 is an end view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 8,

FIG 10 is an end view of a further embodiment, and

FIG. 11 is an end elevation of one grinding wheel around which is provided an enclosure to catch metal dust and abrasive powder formed during the grinding operation.

The device shown in the drawings consists of a sheet metal base 10 having feet 11 of a low friction plastic material. Hinged to the base 10 by hinge 12 is a cover 13 on the underside of which is mounted a driving motor 14. The cover 13 may be set in a range of different angular relationships with the base and locked in that position by means of clamps controlled by the knobs 15 the shafts of which pass through arcuate slots 16. A scale 17 provides an indication of the angular relationship between the cover and the base.

A carrying handle 18 is mounted on top of the cover as is a rheostat control 21 by means of which the speed of the motor 14 may be controlled, an on/oif switch 22 and an indicator light 23.

A sheet metal grinding wheel carrier 24 is hingedly mounted on the cover 13 by means of the hinge 25, lateral extension 26 of the carrier 24 overlies the ends of the cover 13 and slots 27 and clamping knobs 28 allow the carrier 24 to be set within limits in any angular relationship with the cover, the angle being indicated on the scale 29.

The shaft 31 of the electric motor 14 carries a pair of pulleys 32 and through these belts 33 and 34 drive grinding wheels 35 and 36, which are supported in bearings on the carrier 24. The belts are protected by a removable front cover 37.

Adjustable guide fingers 38 and 39 are provided on the carrier 24, which may be set by means of the screws 41 to project at a predetermined distance from the plane containing the faces of the grinding wheels 35 and 36, the degree of projection being shown on the scale 42. A locking nut 43 allows the finger to be locked in any adjusted position.

It will be seen from FIGS. 4 and 5 that the grinding wheels may be set in a low position as in FIG. 5 or a high position as in FIG. 4. In the latter the cover 13 is in its lowest position and its sides are in fact parallel with those of the base. In the position shown adjustment of the angle of the plane containing the working surfaces of the grinding wheels is set entirely by adjustment of the angle made by the carrier 24 with the cover 13. In the position shown in FIG. 4 the cover 13 is pivoted at an angle to the base 10 the carrier 24 being at zero angle to the cover. In the position shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 however the cover is pivoted in relation to the base and the carrier in relation to the cover, both possibilities of angular adjustmentbeing used in this position.

The necessity for providing for a high and a low position arises from the fact that a guillotine blade is not normally accessible for sharpening over its full length at the same level. The extreme ends are accessible only when either in or out of the frame of the machine that is to say, at a high and a low position of the guillotine knife. It is thus necessary for the device to be capable "of being used in a high or a low position if the whole length of the blade is to be sharpened.

In use the device is placed on the bed of the guillotine and the grinding wheels brought lightly into contact with the edge of the blade after having adjusted the device so that the working surfaces of the wheels lie in a plane which is at an angle of 1 to the cutting surface of the knife or of its second bevel if one is present. The device is then moved steadily along the length of the blade or that part of it that is immediately accessible to take a light even out along the length of the blade. The fingers 38 and 39 may be adjusted so as to prevent too deep a cut being taken but with a certain amount of practice these can be dispensed with.

The speed of the grinding wheels may be adjusted by means of the rheostat 21 to provide the cutting speed found to give the best results with the knife being sharpened.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show a slight modification of the constructions shown in FIG. 1 in which adjustable guide members 44 and 45 are provided to assist in setting the faces of the grinding wheels at the correct angle in relation to the blade. Each of the members 44 and 45 consist of a plate 46 the face of which is arranged at an angle of 1 to the face of the grinding wheels, the angular relationship being better seen in FIG. 7. Plate 46 is carried on the end of a screw 47 which may be turned by means of the head 48. A stop nut 49 is provided on the thread 47. In use the head 48 is turned to bring the stop nut 49 against the carrier 24 as shown in FIG. 7. In this position the plate 46 projects beyond the front of the grinding wheel in each case and may be brought to lie against the bevel of the guillotine knife as shown in FIG. 7. When this is done the faces of the grinding wheels are in the correct angular relationship with the guillotine knife so that there is a difference of one degree between the inclination of the surface of the knife and the table of the guillotine and the inclination of the face of the plate 46 and the table of the guillotine. The faces of the plates 46 are brought into contact with the guillotine knife when the clamps for setting the angular inclination of the faces of the grinding wheels are slackened after which the clamps are tightened to secure the grinding wheels in the correct positions and the heads 48 turned to retract the plates 46 behind the plane of the faces of the grinding wheels. The grinding of the knife edge may then take place and as will be seen the construction provides a very convenient means for obtaining the correct angular setting of the faces of the grinding wheels.

FIGS. 8 and 9 show another variation of the construction shown in FIG. 1 in this case a driving motor 50 is arranged to be supported so that its axis makes degrees with the surface of the guillotine table, it being possible to increase the angle by pivoting about the pivot point 51. In this construction the grinding wheels 52 and 53 are mounted on a plate 54 which is capable of movement upwards or downwards in a plane parallel to the plane containing the faces of the grinding wheels 52 and 53 and is capable of being secured in any adjusted position by the wing nuts 55 and 56, the slots 57 and 58 permitting the necessary movement to take place. It will be seen that this construction provides a higher and a lower position of the grinding wheels, it being possible to make angular adjustment of the attitude of the faces of the grinding wheels in either position. Although the angle between the faces of the grinding wheels and normal to the surface of the guillotine table cannot be decreased below 20 degrees this is not of practical importance as the minimum angle of the ii f i 8% ftllifie'l lliifi fififi finch the electric motor 60 is mounted in a mounting which is carried in slots 61, one at each end of the body of the apparatus and movement of the mounting in these slots enables the grinding wheels to be set at a higher position or a lower position indicated in the figure in broken lines, with the possibility of pivotal adjustment in each position about the hinge point 62.

FIG. 11 shows an additional feature which may be applied to any of the forms of apparatus illustrated in which a cover 63 is shown partially surrounding a grinding wheel 64. This cover serves to catch any metal particles or abrasive particles produced during the grinding operation, thus assisting in preventing them from reaching the guillotine table.

The embodiments of the invention described above are given only by way of example as being preferred forms of the invention defined in the succeeding claims.

Iclaim:

1. A device for sharpening the knife of a guillotine comprising a base adapted to be placed on and moved over the surface of the guillotine table; a first member hingedly attached to said base; a drive motor mounted on said first member; means to secure said first member in any one of a range of angular relationships with said base; a second member movably attached to said first member; means to secure said second member in a plurality of different positions to said first member; at least one grinding wheel rotatably mounted on said second member; and flexible means for transmitting a drive from said motor to said grinding wheel.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein means are provided on the base to make contact with the guillotine knife to limit the depth of cut of each grinding wheel to assist in obtaining a uniform cut along the length of the knife.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 having means adapted to be brought into contact with the bevelled face of the guillotine knife whereby the angle of the face of said grinding wheel may be set correctly, said means having a surface engageable with said bevelled face, that surface making an angle of about l with the plane containing the face of said grinding wheel.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein a cover is provided partially surrounding each grinding wheel to catch abrasive dust and metal particles produced during the grinding process.

5. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second member is hingedly attached to said first member, and wherein said second mentioned means serves to secure said second member in any one of a range of angular relationships to said first member.

6. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein two grinding wheels are rotatably mounted on said second member, said grinding wheels having their grinding faces in the same plane.

7. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said flexible means comprise a belt drive. 

1. A device for sharpening the knife of a guillotine comprising a base adapted to be placed on and moved over the surface of the guillotine table; a first member hingedly attached to said base; a drive motor mounted on said first member; means to secure said first member in any one of a range of angular relationships with said base; a second member movably attached to said first member; means to secure said second member in a plurality of different positions to said first member; at least one grinding wheel rotatably mounted on said second member; and flexible means for transmitting a drive from said motor to said grinding wheel.
 2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein means are provided on the base to make contact with the guillotine knife to limit the depth of cut of each grinding wheel to assist in obtaining a uniform cut along the length of the knife.
 3. A device as claimed in claim 1 having means adapted to be brought into contact with the bevelled face of the guillotine knife whereby the angle of the face of said grinding wheel may be set correctly, said means having a surface engageable with said bevelled face, that surface making an angle of about 1* with the plane containing the face of said grinding wheel.
 4. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein a cover is provided partially surrounding each grinding wheel to catch abrasive dust and metal particles produced during the grinding process.
 5. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second member is hingedly attached to said first member, and wherein said second mentioned means serves to secure said second member in any one of a range of angular relationships to said first member.
 6. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein two grinding wheels are rotatably mounted on said second member, said grinding wheels having their grinding faces in the same plane.
 7. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said flexible means comprise a belt drive. 